Troyces
by wildcats789
Summary: Troy had been looking forward to the callbacks for weeks, when suddenly a very important basketball game is scheduled for the same time as the callbacks, leaving Troy with a very important choice to make. Will he follow his heart and do the callbacks or succumb to peer pressure and do the basketball game?
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

It was a Monday morning and, for what felt like the first time ever, Troy Bolton was actually looking forward to the week ahead. Not only did he have, as usual, basketball practice every day and would get to see Gabriella, but it was the call-backs this week, which he and Gabriella had been rehearsing for weeks for!

However, Kate still hadn't shown them the song they were going to be singing. After watching them perform, she had decided that they performed best when they were singing the song for the first or second time, as they sung it most naturally then. Instead, they had been practising songs such as 'Breaking Free', 'Gotta go my own way' and 'Everyday' (which explained how they picked up the songs so quickly in the summer.)

The only thing that Troy was slightly worried about was his dad. His dad, who also happened to be his basketball coach, had accepted Troy being in the Winter Musical, but Troy wasn't sure his dad would be happy with him entering a second musical. Troy checked the time and groaned. If he wasn't careful, he would be late for Gabriella!

_'But your faith, it gives me strength,_

_ Strength to believe…_

_We're soaring, flying,_

_There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach,_

_If we're trying, yeah we're breaking free.'_

"Troy, you need to relax a bit. Gabriella, remember how to do the harmony on the 'heaven', OK?" Kate was Troy and Gabriella's singing trainer and she would only accept the best! A few weeks ago Gabriella would have found that beyond irritating, but now Kate was one of her really close friends. She could already feel a friendship developing that was much closer then hers and Taylor's.

"Right, take it from the top," Kate instructed, and Troy and Gabriella concealed smiles. As they began singing, Gabriella heard Troy's phone go off. Although they both knew Kate would not approve, Gabriella saw Troy sneakily check his phone underneath the piano. What he saw made him turn white. Gabriella gave him a questioning look and Troy passed her the phone. The text made the words of the song die on Gabriella's lips.

Troy,

We've got a friendly match against one of the toughest teams in the state on Friday after school. We need the whole team in the gym every lunchtime and afterschool this week. See you later.

Coach

"Guys, what's up?" Kate asked, looking concerned. However, neither of them answered her, both having more pressing concerns.

"But the call-backs…" Gabriella began.

"…Are on Friday," Troy finished.

"So what…" Gabriella continued.

"…Am I going to do?" Troy wondered, half to Gabriella, half to himself. "I don't know," Troy said. "I think Ill go and talk to my dad, make him see…the match is only a friendly and I might be able to make him understand."

However, Troy looked so doubtful that Gabriella began to get a feeling of dread in her stomach. As always, the callbacks weren't going to be as easy as expected!

**Thanks for reading this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you think **** thanks!**

**Also, thanks to wildcats2016 for the review they left on the prequel to this book **


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

In the end, Troy told Gabriella that he would go to training at lunch today and sing with her at lunch the following day. Gabriella seemed fine with that but he dreaded his dad's reaction – his dad was not so amiable.

"So wassup, dude?" Chad, Zeke and Jason bounded into the changing rooms, howling with excitement, and Troy got a sudden unexpected longing to be singing with Gabriella in the calm music rooms. Sighing, Troy changed into his kit and followed the guys into the gym.

When practice was over, Coach pulled Troy over. Troy noticed a strange expression on his dad's face.

"So…Troy. I was looking at the notice boards earlier and I Noticed your name on it."

With a sinking feeling that had nothing to do with basketball, Troy nodded.

"Callbacks, Troy? Again? You told me you wouldn't audition again, you said that the singing thing was over and you'd concentrate on working on your game." Mr Bolton sounded as if he'd been bottling this in for a while.

"So, dad, I changed my mind. What's the big deal?" Troy retorted.

"But, Troy. Why?" As his dad spoke, Troy realised that the expression on his dad's face was bewilderment.

"Basketball isn't the only thing I enjoy doing, dad. So what if I want to try something new once in a while?" Troy said passionately.

"Troy…you're a hoops dude, not a musical singer guy."

Troy felt a strong sense of déjà vu as he said to his dad, "Don't you think I can be both?" As Troy stalked out of the gym, he saw a number of emotions cross his dad's face; anger, exasperation, and the look of bewilderment that looked so strange on his dad. Troy slammed the gym door, revealing the rest of the basketball team who had been hiding behind the door listening.

"You guys are so creepy," Troy mumbled before hurrying off to the changing rooms to try and avoid a confrontation with any of his teammates. However, someone had beaten him to it.

"You're doing the callbacks? Again?" Chad sounded incredulous and disappointed, as if Troy had let him down.

"Look, man, you knew I was doing the auditions. What's the problem?" Even as he said the words, Troy felt his heart sink; he knew Chad would find many problems with him doing the callbacks.

"Maybe because the callbacks are at the same time at the game? What are you going to choose? Man, I've been your best friends since kindergarten but since Gabriella came along, you've changed; I don't even know what you're going to do."

"I don't know either, man," Troy said miserably. It was true. He knew what he wanted to do, but he didn't know if he could stand the possible consequences enforced by his dad and Chad.

"Dude, that's not what I wanted to hear," Chad said as he walked away, shaking his head.

**Thanks for reading this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you think **** thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

"Hey, Troy, I've got to shoot but I'll see you in the gym at lunch," Troy's dad called out as he left the house.

"Actually, dad, I-" But Troy's dad had already left, so Troy left the sentence unfinished. After all, his dad would find out later that he wasn't going to be attending practice.

Troy sighed. It seemed like whenever he did anything there was always someone who wasn't happy. 'I guess that's the price of going against the status quo,' he thought. He grabbed his bag and headed out of the house. Maybe he would have time to catch Chad before he headed off to the music rooms.

'_It's hard to believe, that I couldn't seem that you were always there beside me…'_ Gabriella smiled at Troy as she sung and Troy felt a familiar lurch in his stomach.

'_This feeling's like no other, I want you to know…' _They carried on singing together and the warm feeling inside Troy increased.

'_So lonely before, I finally found…what I've been looking for." _Troy and Gabriella finished the song, their perfect harmonies fading away, and Troy felt as if nothing in the world could ruin the moment. Nothing but –

Chad glared at Troy and gestured furiously from the music room window for Troy to join him. Troy knew Chad so well that he could almost hear what he was thinking.

'Get the hell out of that classroom, dude, and go shoot some hoops!'

Despite the sinking feeling in Troy's stomach, he just smiled at Chad and shook his head. Chad's face grew, if possible, even more livid. He pushed on the music room door but found it was locked. Troy turned back to Gabriella and Kate, who were both looking at him with worry clear on their faces.

"Just keep playing," Troy murmured to Kate, and she began to play 'Breaking free'. As he began to sing, Troy watched Chad stalk away, shaking his head as he went. Troy felt worried; in a way, he had been trying to make a point to Chad by singing instead of going out to talk to him but, on reflection, maybe it hadn't been such a good idea. Furthermore, Chad's visit had reminded him that he was missing basketball practice to sing with Gabriella not just this lunchtime but also practice after school, and evidently his absence had been noted. His dad was going to kill him when he got home.

"Troy?" When Gabriella said his name, Troy realised he had stopped singing. He went red.

"Um…sorry," he mumbled. "Take it from the top?" They began singing again, but Troy couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling inside him that he was going to have to make a difficult choice.

**Thanks for reading this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you think **** thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

RING! The bell rang signalling the end of lunchtime and Troy groaned. He was going to have to avoid Chad for the whole of homeroom and the whole afternoon. Gabriella looked at him and smiled.

"Scared?" she asked him, half laughing at his obvious discomfort.

"NO," he replied. "I'm just…afraid," he finished honestly, demonstrating yet again Gabriella's ability to gain Troy's trust so easily. She smiled at him.

"Don't worry about it," she told him, and suddenly Troy knew exactly what Gabriella's wise mum would have said, had she have been here.

"What will come, will come, and you can face it when it does." Troy could almost hear Mrs Montez's wise gentle voice in his head.

"Come on, Troy! Let's go!" Gabriella called out to him and, with a start, Troy realised that Kate had already left. Gabriella took his hand and led him out of the room. Troy almost smiled. With Gabriella, nothing could keep him worried for long.

When they got to homeroom, smiling was the last thing Troy felt like doing when he saw Chad glaring and glowering in his direction. However, he plastered a smile on his face and talked to Gabriella about nothing in particular for the whole of homeroom. As soon as the bell went, Troy dropped to the floor, oblivious of Gabriella laughing at his attempts to be a spy. Chad looked around, completely bewildered, and went out of the door, assuming that Troy had managed to sneak out without him noticing.

Troy sighed with relief and jumped up, brushing himself down, as Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"Was that all really necessary?" she asked, half in amusement and half in disbelief.

"I've had to do worse," Troy muttered under his breath, remembering when he was in third grade playing hide and seek with Chad and camouflaged himself in what he thought was mud but turned out to be fox poo.

"I don't want to know!" Gabriella laughed. "Now, come on Troy, the second bell's gone already and we're going to get a late!"

Troy smiled at Gabriella's geekiness but made his way to geometry where, thankfully, Chad wasn't in his class.

**Thanks for reading this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you think **** thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Singing was over for the night. So was basketball. Troy had never felt more reluctant to go home and face his dad. Missing two basketball practices in one day was likely to get him into more trouble with his dad then if he had robbed a shop.

"Gabriella…Kate?" he asked the girls as they made their way out of the music room. "Do you guys want to go and do something?"

"Well…I've got to be home by five because we're looking after the neighbours dog," Kate said. Troy checked his watch and sighed inwardly; it was quarter to already. "But you guys could come round for a couple of hours."

"Sure," Troy said, trying to act casual when inside he was jumping for joy; a couple of extra hours until the confrontation that was sure to happen when he got home.

When they got to Kate's house, the door was locked and the lights were out.

"My dad doesn't usually get back from work until about 10pm," Kate told Troy and Gabriella. It suddenly struck Troy and Gabriella how lonely Kate must get in the evenings, hour after hour, day after day. They immediately resolved to have Kate round more often. It even made Troy feel better about having an irritated dad waiting for him at home; at least his dad was waiting for him at home.

After hanging out at Kate's for a few hours, Gabriella announced that she would have to go home to study for her chemistry exam the following day.

"I guess I should probably go too," Troy said reluctantly, as they saw Gabriella out of the house.

"You don't have to go just yet!" Kate said, obviously anticipating the lonely hours ahead.

"Trust me, I'd much rather stay here," Troy said grimly. "But it's time to face the music." At Kate's blank face he added, "My dad!" Kate laughed, before her face became more solemn.

"Come on, Troy, Uncle Jack isn't too bad," she insisted, sticking up for her uncle.

"No...it's just…have you ever wanted to try something new, but people are always trying to stop you?" Troy had phrased his question carefully, not sure if Kate would understand.

"I don't know," Kate said thoughtfully. "I guess…I often thought that it would be fun to play basketball at lunchtime with you guys when it isn't a proper practice – technically, I would be allowed – but then I know that people would just judge me and most of the basketball team wouldn't play with me anyway, because I'm a girl. But there isn't a girls basketball team at East High; only a cheerleading squad. I know said that the school is much more accepting of change since you went against the status quo, but, I don't know…it still feels pretty segregated to me."

Troy looked at Kate with a new understanding; that was just how he felt! Then he sighed.

"I really do have to get back now," he said reluctantly, "But it's been great talking to you."

"See you tomorrow!" Kate smiled, and Troy headed out of the door, wishing that the walk home was longer.

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	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Troy's dad pounced on him the moment he walked through the door.

"Where have you been?" Coach Bolton demanded.

"I went to Uncle Matt's," Troy responded, heading steadily for the stairs.

"Where were you at lunch and after school?" Troy's dad persisted aggressively. Still Troy continued towards the stairs. 'You can call me a coward,' Troy thought, 'But dad is like a bomb – and he's about to explode.'

"TROY!" his dad bellowed. "IF YOU DON'T COME HERE RIGHT NOW YOU'RE OFF THE BASKETBALL TEAM!" Reluctantly, Troy walked into the kitchen where his dad was making himself a cheese and pickle sandwich.

"Our team," Coach Bolton said in a voice of forced calm, "Is not going to win on Friday if you are not 110% focused. How do you expect our team to work together if you are off singing in our team practices?"

"Why did you ask where I was if you already knew?" Troy asked unwisely and immediately regretted it; his dad was sure to explode. He was right.

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT CHEEK, YOUNG MAN!" Mr Bolton stormed. "You're so cocky because you're the captain and the coach's son; you think you can get away with anything, don't you?! Well, I can put you straight on that; I'll treat you like any other member of the team. The only reason you've missed basketball practice at all in the last three years is because of this singing thing. So here it is in black and white; if you miss one more practice or match, including the game on Friday, then you're off the team."

Troy gasped. "But, dad!" he cried, his face ashen. "I've got the callbacks on Friday!"

"And you've also got a very important basketball game," his dad responded. "And this match is very important to me-"

"But you think the callbacks aren't important to me?" Troy cut him off. "Gabriella and I have been rehearsing for this for weeks, and I can't let her down."

"As I was saying," Troy's dad continued, "This match was very important to me because the coach of the other team was the captain of the basketball team of my school's rival school when I was at school. I've never told you this but…in my last match of my senior year, the last match of my school career, we were one point down and we had ten seconds to go. I was doing a lay up, I know I could have scored it, but he fouled me as I was taking the shot. The referee didn't even call it as a foul…so we lost. This match is the only chance I'll have to prove myself to him – his son is the captain of his team – but I guess I'll just have to tell him that my son is away at some musical audition."

Troy's dad looked so devastated that Troy was left speechless. If he was denied the chance to get back at David Granger, the bully from middle school, would he feel upset and let down? The answer was yes, he would. But still…if Gabriella put Scholastic Decathlon over the callbacks, he would feel just as let down, and that was how Gabriella would fell if Troy picked basketball.

""So, Troy, will I see you at the game on Friday?" Troy's dad asked, interrupting Troy's thoughts. He looked so confident that Troy would choose basketball, but Troy…Troy couldn't decide.

"I don't know, dad," he replied finally, and saw anger flash across his dad's face again.

"Well, I guess you have a choice to make, don't you?" his dad responded before exiting the room. Troy sunk to the floor, his head in his hands. Why did his dad always have to make things so difficult for him?

**Thanks for reading this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you think **** thanks!**


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